CXS Sedan

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Review

2007
Buick
LaCrosse Review

Powerful family sedan needs more to keep up with its rivals.

Reviewed by Automotive on
7/16/2007

Overview

The 2007 Buick LaCrosse is meant to replace the admired Buick stalwarts, the Century and the Regal. It is intended to be built like a comfortable cruiser for the slightly sporty driver. Unfortunately, the LaCrosse midsize family sedan lags behind the competition. While its power and quiet-ride comfort are noticeable LaCrosse high points, the uncomfortable seats, serious lack of features, and subpar handling cause it to be easily outshined by the extensive competition. It’s not a bad car, but buyers can find many better choices.

The Range

What's New

The 2007 Buick LaCrosse offers more standard features. An upgraded OnStar system with turn-by-turn directions is now standard on all trims, while XM satellite radio is standard on the CXS. There are a few new wheel designs and new upholstery fabric available for all models. GM also extends the powertrain warranty on all of its models to five years or 100,000 miles.

Exterior

The 2007 Buick LaCrosse midsize family sedan is offered in three trim levels: CX, CXL, and CXS. The CX comes with 16-inch steel wheels, while the LaCrosse CXL adds alloy wheels. The top-of-the-line CXS provides a more powerful V-6, a sport-tuned suspension, and 17-inch alloy wheels. Many of the features on the CXS can be added to the lower trims.

While blandest looking family sedan on the market, the LaCrosse doesn’t compete with styling cues and sharp appearances of some of the competition in this segment. Buick isn’t as bad as Volvo when it comes to uninspired looks, but the GM subsidiary isn’t known for radical styling or unique appearances. Given the target audience, the simple design of the LaCrosse exterior won’t ruffle any feathers or win any style contests.

Interior

The CX trim starts off with a power driver seat, air-conditioning, a six-speaker CD stereo, cruise control, and full power accessories. The CXL adds leather upholstery, automatic climate control, and a split/folding rear seat. The CXS then adds XM satellite radio and a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel. Stand-alone options include a remote engine-start feature, rear parking assist, and upgraded audio systems that include MP3 compatibility and a six-disc CD changer. A navigation system and Bluetooth are not available.

Performance & Handling

The CX and CXL models make use of a 3.8-liter V-6 that makes 200 hp and 230 lb-ft of torque. The CXS model upgrades to a 3.6-liter, direct over-head cam (DOHC) V-6 that features variable valve timing and kicks out 240 hp and 225 lb-ft of torque. A four-speed automatic transmission is the only available gearbox. The CXS trim makes the zero-to-60-mph run in 7.6 seconds and completes the quarter-mile in 15.8 seconds, which isn't bad for a family sedan.

The LaCrosse handles like a family car with numb steering and excessive body roll. It also shows its family vehicle goals by being smooth and comfortable while absorbing bumps. The CX and CXL models’ V-6 is a bit noisy, meaning the CXS offers the quietest ride of all the trims. The LaCrosse is clearly intended for commutes, daily drives, and long highway trips, but not for anything in the way of driving thrills.

Safety

The 2007 Buick LaCrosse offers standard safety features that include full-length, head-protecting side curtain side airbags, OnStar, traction control, a tire-pressure monitor, and anti-lock disc brakes. Stability control is an option for the CXS only. Torso-protecting front-seat side airbags are not available. In NHTSA crash tests, the 2007 Buick LaCrosse earned a five-star rating for driver and front passenger protection in frontal impacts. In NHTSA side impact tests, all LaCrosses scored four out of five stars for rear seat passenger protection. Models made after February 2007 scored three stars in front-impact tests. This was an upgrade over models made previously in the model year, which received a paltry one star. However, a service bulletin was issued for the earlier models that will bring its crash performance up to the level of the later production cars. In IIHS testing, the LaCrosse scored a ""good,"" the highest possible score, in frontal-offset tests, but only a ""marginal"" rating, the second lowest of four, in that agency's side-impact testing.